Badlapur - Preview

For every Johnny Gaddar a director can be forgive at least a couple of Agent Vinods. And Badlapur leans more toward the former than the latter, which is worth looking forward to in itself. And there is always Ek Hasina Thi to keep the balance tipping on the right side.

Moreover, whenever newer talent gets a chance to break the mould and try different genres it makes the film even more intriguing. Varun Dhawan is looking good in an intense and even borderline quirky avatar. It is always a pleasure to watch Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Huma Qureshi on screen. Yami Gautam has her own charm too. We'll be seeing Vinay Pathak after a long time too.

The one thing that makes me a little skeptical is the revenge theme. It has been done to death and is very difficult to narrate in a way that we haven't seen before. The gore and shock factor seem to have been taken care of though. I love it when films that you look forward to have something on the flip side too.

Either way, a thriller a week is always welcome. Exciting times ahead!

Does the motivation of a murder justify the murder? Does time elapsed justify forgiving a crime? Is revenge futile? Does it become justified because of the first wrong done? Is a cold-blooded crime less justifiable than one committed in the heat of the moment? Does your justification depend on the justification of the criminal? Is forgiveness less palatable when done by a criminal?

You might have your answers to all these questions, but the ambiguity will remain. They are, after all, only “yours”. Your “justifiable” will different from mine. The point is, Badlapur makes you think about where you've drawn the line. Even if not entirely convincing.

In that sense, Badlapur pushes the boundaries of a regular Hindi thriller film. We all know its going to go one way or the other – the wronged is going to either take revenge or not. Badlapur makes you reconsider what and how much your conscience will allow even if you are not in the judge's seat. But, it involves a leap of faith from your side.

We make allowances for films that we begin to like while watching them or the ones we want to like. But very often, the story jerks in a way that you don't quite get. Badlapur did that to me with its character transformations. Sure, they are unpredictable and the unexpected is seldom unexciting. But unpredictable change towards something that was built up for over an hour of screen time doesn't convince you.

For me that and the one passage of time were deal-breakers. Especially, a short scene just explains it off asking characters and audience to introspect. As a film, a story, Badlapur makes you think of it as a convenient contrivance. As a concept though the film stays with you and it is not only because of the intensity of the violence.

If you take what happens as a given you will find yourself mulling over it in circular thoughts. And that is Badlapur's success. You are with the film after the 2+ hours in the theater. The actors stay with you for long after. Nawazuddin Siddiqui makes you laugh in the darkest moments to go with the noir tone of the film. The character and the actor compliment each other perfectly, as can be said about every character that the man plays.

So used to his class act are we, that the one thing that I'll remember Badlapur by is Varun Dhawan's performance. It might be a cakewalk for a good actor to play a brooder/sulker. But, Varun Dhawan carries it off while drawin sympathy from the audience. You almost feel like telling him to let go of his anger for his own sake. Huma Qureshi plays aloof and concerned all at once exactly like her character would be in her place.

All others in their bit roles from Vinay Pathak to Radhika Apte to Ashwini Kalsekar and Divya Dutta keep the film very rooted. Their expressions and body language make you believe what their character feels. But you might or might not be convinced of what the character feels in the first place.

I am slightly ambivalent about the pace of the film too. Not that the slow build-up was an issue, but I can't help but think how the dynamics would have changed had the film lingered a little less and stayed crisp as one has come to accept of a thriller.

Starting with a philosophy "The axe forgets. The tree remembers.", Badlapur obviously aims at being a psychological thriller. Unfortunately, it neither is whole-heartedly psychological nor a thriller. Even though it makes you introspect your attitude towards crime and justice.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up,
by Naresh Kumar Deoshi,
Apun Ka Choice
:
...Badlapur is not your usual run-of-the-mill revenge saga. Nothing in the film is black or white. There are shades of grey even in Varun Dhawan’s Raghu. Conversely, there is something likable about Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Liak. The film packs its share of twists and turns and culminates in a gritty climax.
Strongly Recommended. And yes, don’t miss the beginning....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Bobby Sing,
Bobby Talks Cinema.com
:
...In all, with a more fine-tuned second half taking care of the pace & flaws together surely would have turned it into a rare, path breaking masterpiece on the lines of EK HASEENA THI (2004) and JOHNY GADDAR (2007). Yet in the present avatar, BADLAPUR is a performance driven film led by Nawazuddin, Radhika and Varun, proving to be one of the better projects of the recent times that should ideally taste box office success to support the much desired change in Hindi Cinema....
full review

Thumbs up,
Bollywood Hungama
:
...On the whole, BADLAPUR offers you cinematic excellence with a rider that there's violence and gore, which may not be everyone's cup of bitter coffee. You shall be treated to truly unforgettable performances by Nawazuddin and Varun Dhawan. It is a film that will find patrons amidst the multiplex crowd. And yes, it is a film that will continue to live-on in the minds of cinema lovers for a long time to come....
full review

Thumbs up,
Daily Bhaskar
:
...If you are planning to watch something that would give you your money’s worth this weekend, catch this well made, action-crime-saga....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Suparna Sharma,
Deccan Chronicle
:
...But Badlapur, of course, is committed more to its hero, Varun Dhawan. Dhawan is great, especially when he has to hold a look, exude one basic emotion — rage, anger, grief, need for revenge. He’s especially good when women are around him — his scene with Huma Qureshi is rather impressive. ...
full review

Thumbs up,
by Kusumita Das,
Deccan Chronicle
:
...As the film progresses the lines between the perpetrator and victim begin to fade. Sriram Raghavan turns the genre of revenge on its head. It’s as thrilling as it is introspective. There’s no good, bad or ugly. You see how ugly good can get, how bad can have some good too. No sides taken. Go figure....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Smita Vyas Kumar,
Desi Martini
:
... A taut thriller with superb performances from the cast, Badlapur is a must watch...
full review

Thumbs up,
by Aneela Zeb Babar,
Desi Martini
:
... Ab ye Badlapur Ka Badla Kis Se Liya Jaaye? I am giving it 3 Stars for you know like the women in the film I make such BAD choices....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Blessen Joseph,
Desi Martini
:
...BADLAPUR offers you cinematic excellence with a rider that there's violence and gore, which may not be everyone's cup of bitter coffee. You shall be treated to truly unforgettable performances by Nawazuddin and Varun Dhawan. It is a film that will find patrons amidst the multiplex crowd. And yes, it is a film that will continue to live-on in the minds of cinema lovers for a long time to come....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Rachit Gupta,
Filmfare
:
...If it weren’t for the performances of the two lead actors and the great story by Massimo Carlotto, Badlapur would’ve been average fare. But it’s not. This is one heck of a thriller. The climax, that one final dialogue, where Huma Qureshi’s character lays it down for Varun’s character changes the entire context of the movie. These are moments that you’d usually associate with noir classics from Hollywood. Badlapur might just be our first little step towards making films that matter....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Mihir Fadnavis,
FirstPost
:
...Much like the protagonist of this film, Badlapur renders a brutal wallop to everything going against it, and emerges as the first truly great movie of the year....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Deepanjana Pal,
FirstPost
:
...The first 10-odd minutes of Badlapur are beautifully-crafted. A simple, everyday street scene takes on terrifying proportions. Taut with tension, unpredictable and dramatic, it's a powerful opening sequence. It's also the prelude to a letdown because it turns out that's all Badlapur has: a superb beginning. Almost everything that follows is missable....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Johnson Thomas,
Free Press Journal
:
...The minimalistic background score, earthy musical serenades and the rooted performances by Nawazuddin, Dhawan, Quereshi, Apte, Dutta and Pathak make the experience at least somewhat interesting. Also, Raghavan’s and co-scriptwriter Arijit Biswas’ efforts to stay away from the Bollywood norm of clichés and stereotypes is commendable. Unfortunately it’s not enough to make the experience entirely definitive, invigorating or exciting! Raghavan’s ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ and ‘Johnny Gaddar’ were definitely far greater efforts than this measly entertainer which might just be ranked a bar above his lackluster spy outing, ‘Agent Vinod!’...
full review

Thumbs up,
Free Press Journal
:
...He does a fair job, but when he is up against Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who articulates a range of subtle emotions with great economy of means, he is hard-pressed to retain his consistency. Badlapur has a competent supporting cast although most of the actors are seen on the screen for an average of two-and-a-half scenes each.
Huma Qureshi gets the meatiest of the secondary roles and, as always, makes the most of the opportunity....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Nupur Barua,
fullhyd.com
:
...Nawazuddin Siddiqui is terrific. Period. This movie belongs to him. You have to watch the movie to understand, if you do not already, just how superior an actor this man is. Kumud Mishra has some brilliant moments, too, as the police officer. Divya Dutta is understated, and Huma Qureshi does her bit with some sincerity. Yaami Gautam is hardly there, so she does not make much of an impact. Radhika Apte, on the other hand, is dynamite in her role as an unsuspecting wife. Vinay Pathak is underused....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Rajeev Masand,
IBN Live
:
...Despite all its strengths, 'Badlapur' isn't a perfect film. The pace slackens post-intermission, plot contrivances are many, and you might say the film is misogynistic in its treatment of women. These are relatively small problems in the larger picture, though. For the most part, the film keeps you on your toes, curious to see where its twists and turns will lead....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Anubhav Parsheera,
india today
:
...All in all, Badlapur is a commendable movie which attempts to step outside the confines of conventional Bollywood fare, and succeeds in doing so to a certain extent. ...
full review

Thumbs up,
Indicine
:
...Varun Dhawan has come a long way as an actor and Badlapur will always be remembered as a film that showcases his versatility. His performance is subtle and controlled through the first half and completely erupts in the second. It’s a brave effort on his part to essay such a challenging role so early in his career. If Varun impresses, the man who stands out in Badlapur is Nawazuddin Siddique. He delivers the performance of a lifetime, as if he were born to play Laik. From his appearance, to his accent to his mannerisms, he entertains you in every frame. It’s the battle between Varun and Nawaz that makes up for the slow pacing of the film. Badlapur works more for its performances than its unparalleled story. Yami Gautam and Huma Qureshi don’t get enough screen-time to showcase their talent, but they do well. Radhika Apte is impressive and Vinay Pathak is good too....
full review

Thumbs up,
by surabhi Redkar,
koimoi
:
...Badlapur is a brilliant direction from Sriram Raghavan whose film opens like novel and is full of twists. According to me, the film’s best element is Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui who own this film right from start. For the excellent performances by both the leads and a gritty dark tale...
full review

Thumbs up,
by Udita Jhunjhunwala,
Live Mint
:
...In a final act, we see how the roles are reversed and redemption comes from an unexpected quarter. Raghavan dramatically bookends the film in such a way that you are willing to overlook some of the script’s transitional follies...
full review

Thumbs up,
by Shubha Shetty-Saha,
MiD DAY
:
...While the first half keeps you firmly in its grip, the second half starts meandering a little till it captures you back with an absolutely unforeseeable climax....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Joginder Tuteja,
Movie Talkies
:
...Now this is what makes Badlapur special because director Sriram Raghavan turns the whole revenge saga upside down and comes up with a tale that engrosses you, thrills you and also asks you a lot of questions in its little over two hours play. For a film to work so consistently right through its duration and ensuring that you don't end up being distracted by your cell phone even once is a feat in itself, something which is difficult to achieve in today's impatient times....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Divya Solgama,
MoviezADDA
:
...Dum? Well, the movie has lots of dum for all those who love slow and dark thrillers with a good amount of hard hitting violence, power packed performances and the bold content attached to it. Though, it fails to end on the satisfactory note and had the full potential to surpass Shriram Raghavan's best work 'Jhonny Gaddar' and 'Ek Hasina Thi'. Many might find the movie too slow or bland for the genre, whereas few might find it too dark and bold as per the level of Indian films. Nevertheless, good cinema lovers will love to see 'Badlapur' for attempting something different, which also marks a mild evolution of our desi revenge drama type of films in our Hindi cinema....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Raja Sen,
Rediff
:
...The last one-third of the film drags a bit -- the final lines of dialogue are jarringly laboured, especially compared to the rest of the film’s flawlessness -- but overall this is a stunning, beautifully crafted film. ...
full review

Thumbs up,
by Sonia Chopra,
Sify Movies
:
...The film is mainly recommended for Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s class act as the impudent criminal. Other than that, the film has some solid, immersing moments and an equal number that are misogynistic and repulsive....
full review

Thumbs up,
by ANUJ KUMAR,
The Hindu
:
...Bottomline: An edge-of-the-seat pulpy entertainer that manages to turn the revenge formula on its head....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Mohar Basu,
Times of India
:
...Brisk and absorbing, concluding differently than expected, Badlapur is an inspired film that dangerously attempts to change the landscape of the thriller genre in Bollywood....
full review

Thumbs up,
by Gayatri Sankar,
Zee News
:
...If you would like to see different kind of cinema and are a fan of Nawazuddin, then ‘Badlapur’ isn’t something that you can afford to miss. Varun too will surprise you with his mature performance....
full review

So-So,
by Anna MM Vetticad,
annavetticadgoes2themovies
:
...Badlapur then is inconsistent, often praiseworthy, too often not, occasionally even tacky – oh why wasn’t that aspiring-to-be-profound game of Scrabble scissored out?! The film raises some interesting questions about what vengeance does to those who seek it. It also boasts of many memorable scenes peopled with brilliant actors. The overall feeling though is one of a sporadically, episodically effective film that doesn’t quite add up....
full review

So-So,
by Krish Sripada,
Desi Martini
:
...The movie starts as a gripping crime-revenge-saga but ends limply on a strange note!...
full review

So-So,
by Tushar Joshi,
DNA
:
...Badlapur has some solid moments, terrific performances and a riveting storyline Watch it if violence and revenge turn you on! ...
full review

So-So,
by Sweta Kaushal,
Hindustan Times
:
...Badlapur is likely to disappoint Sriram Raghavan fans. The brilliant performances and gripping narrative, nonetheless, will keep you hooked. Watch it for Nawazuddin and Varun Dhawan, if nothing else. Certainly worth your time and money. ...
full review

So-So,
by saibal Chatterjee,
NDTV
:
...Badlapur has a strong supporting cast, with Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte getting enough footage to make the best of a bad deal.
In conclusion, Badlapur might not be in the Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddar league, but it is a happy sign that Sriram Raghavan has left Agent Vinod behind....
full review

Comments (21)

Looks okay except for its name (too cheesy and a poor attempt at sounding massy). Hopefully Sriram is in Johnny Gaddar mode and not the Agent Vinod mode. Good word of mouth should see it through to 70 cr. An acid test for Varun Dhawan though!

Anuj has given this movie a So-So.
Anuj has posted 1145 comments and has rated 126 movies. See Anuj's page for more details.

moviebhakt

Rave reviews all over the net. Waiting to read what meetu has to say :).

Sridhar Raghvan last flick was a fiasco , it was expected to be an edge of thriller movie like his earlier one "Johnny Gaddar". After reading this review particularly if Meetu's verdict is positive , i am convinced i won't be disappointed again. :D

guddu has given this movie a Want to Watch(badlapur).
guddu has posted 143 comments and has rated 73 movies. See guddu's page for more details.

@Guddu: The rating might seem positive with catch on dvd for sure. But the written review has lots of hesitation and regret. So not that positive a review. And the little bit of positiveness is probably due to the aandhon mein kaana raja phenomenon.

Fan has given this movie a Yay! Thumbs Up.
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Anup

BADLAPUR - Its a new entry in Neo Noir genre.

But its not a typical revenge drama in which we havea perfect hero without any sins inside him , neither the villain is atotal sinful person. Rather the characters are of Grey nature and haveboth goods and bads inside them. Normally Bollywood movies show that there is a villain , whokills any person from Hero's family and our Hero take his revenge , itsfor his inner peace as well as for justice to some extent. But the realquestion is that , is revenge is a right solution to compensate themurder of your loved ones. Is killing back the murderer will give youpeace . Theclimax which is too much unconventional may not be liked by many. [comment partially deleted because it gives the movie away]

The movie lacks the shocking element , because of that somescenes feet flat as our hero doesn't seems like he has a particularplan . Also the revenge drama onlystarts in the 2nd half so the movie actually doesn'tmove much in the first half. Varun Dhawan has got a lot of complaintsthat he cant do different roles other that comic character as he isperfect for comedy. This will prove all those persons wrong (i am alsoone of them). Its not like he has nail it totally but for an actor justthree film old (all the three being too light on nature) he hasdone a pretty good job. And he will only get better from here. Now heis a threat for his generation of actors. To write about Siddique isbeing difficult now a days. He shows so much perfection to hischaracter that leave no words to describe it.its actually toodifficult for a hero to shine in a film in which Siddique plays avillain. Siddique has stolen the lime light from Salmaan in kick andnow he has stolen all the praise from Varun(Luckily in Kahani & TalaashSiddique doesn't have a too much important role otherwise he shouldhave stolen it from Vidya and Aamir too) . And his next will be withSrk in RAEES , be aware Shahrukh.I somuch wanted this movie to be directed by Anurag Kashyap , he could havemade this better. But its good to know that there exist another director in bollywood who can match with Anurag in the same genre.Not for every type of audience ,couldn't recommend it to every one , so watch it as per your taste.

Anup has given this movie a Yay! Thumbs Up.
Anup has posted 437 comments and has rated 108 movies. See Anup's page for more details.

Suman

Direction: 3 Story: 3 Lead Actors: 4 Character Artists: 3

Dialogues: 3 Screenplay: 2.5 Music Director: 1 Lyrics: 1.5

Suman has given this movie a Yay! Thumbs Up.
Suman has posted 135 comments and has rated 125 movies. See Suman's page for more details.

kapil

As per Meetu's tweet - It makes you question the concept of right and wrong. Seems intriguing.

kapil has given this movie a Want to Watch(Questioning our thought process - worth a watch.).
kapil has posted 88 comments and has rated 24 movies. See kapil's page for more details.

Samir

Agree with the review overall, but amongst the tremendous acting talent available in the film,unfortunately, Varun Dhawan seemed the weakest link. It was the same story with Ek Hasina Thi which was a reasonably decent film except for Urmila Matondkar who couldn't act to save her life. Wish Raghavan would choose his main protagonists more carefully.

Samir has given this movie a So-So.
Samir has posted 53 comments and has rated 35 movies. See Samir's page for more details.

@Samir oh. I like how Dhawan played Raghu. May have to do with the change from earlier films, but in absolute terms too his act worked for me.

Anuj

Will check this out this evening. Encouraging reviews and a good start at the BO. Like Neeraj Pandey, Sriram too is a film maker whose name is bigger & popular than the actors who act in his films. We need a lot more of the Pandey's and Raghvan's in India.

Anuj has given this movie a So-So.
Anuj has posted 1145 comments and has rated 126 movies. See Anuj's page for more details.

Meetu u rarely denounce a movie with a verdict "Catch on DVD for sure" , generally ur reviews conclude as "watch if you have nothing to do better" or "switch channels if its on cable".Since u don't provide star ratings for ur analysis it becomes difficult to interpret whether the review is positive or mixed , as an avid reader of your reviews , I instantenously felt u were pleased with the film overall . :)

guddu has given this movie a Want to Watch(badlapur).
guddu has posted 143 comments and has rated 73 movies. See guddu's page for more details.

Anuj

Varun vs Nawazuddin : Is it even a contest? Nawazuddin carries an otherwise slow paced and partly boring film on his shoulders and delivers a gem of a performance. This guy just never ceases to amaze. As for Varun, unfortunately as hard as he tries, he can just never be convincing a dark, broody revenge hungry role as this (a trait shared by his SOTY co-star Sid Malhotra). Yami Gautam is pretty, Vinay Pathak is wasted, Radhika Apte proves her stripping credentials well enough. Direction is good but the screenplay is a lackluster and loose imo. A decent watchable film nevertheless, all thanks to Nawaz 3.25/5

Anuj has given this movie a So-So.
Anuj has posted 1145 comments and has rated 126 movies. See Anuj's page for more details.

Gokul

Varun,Nawaz and Raghavan have combined to give us a kickass film!!!!The first half was taut and although the second half feels a tad bit long but the superb climax more than makes up for it.No matter how much I praise,it won't be enough for Nawaz's performance.Badlapur is the most fun I have had in theatres in a long time.

Gokul has posted 82 comments and has rated 5 movies. See Gokul's page for more details.

These days im listening of the songs of this movie running on top these days...I am very impressed by Varun Dhawan's Acting..Really Impressed.

varun has given this movie a Yay! Thumbs Up(90).
varun has posted 1 comments and has rated 1 movies. See varun's page for more details.

Anuj

This is what Komal Nahta, whom i rate as India's best and most honest trade analyst has to say about Varun & Nawazuddin in this film "Varun Dhawan does a very good job. He plays the role of Raghav effectively. But his dialogue delivery does not have the desired impact. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is, hands down, the star of the show. He impresses in every single scene and gets into the skin of the character so very brilliantly that there could veritably have been no other actor better than him in this role. His is an award-winning performance indeed." ~ as always, Mr Nahta is spot on this time too!

Anuj has given this movie a So-So.
Anuj has posted 1145 comments and has rated 126 movies. See Anuj's page for more details.

dirtroad

Was able to catch this on DVD. Superb movie. Everybody acted their bit and Varun was good also !! The song Jeena Jeena was really picturized well and brought a tear to my eye. Won't speak about Nawaz as everything has been said about him. What a performance....this surely must win loads of IIFA or Filmfare awards. The climax was superb and was the main point about this movie..though personally i thought Raghu will now go against the inspector too. Anyway..it was very refreshing to see this after coming back from watching BV on screen. Not fair to compare..but seems Sriram knows the limits of noir better than the self-proclaimed god of indie. And Sriram's own version of Turkey (AV - Agent Vinod) was way better than BV. Hope there is no CV coming !!

dirtroad has given this movie a Yay! Thumbs Up(Great noir drama...a refreshing take on revenge.).
dirtroad has posted 3 comments and has rated 3 movies. See dirtroad's page for more details.

Fan

Just caught up on Sriram's Ek Hasina Thi. As I did not find any page for Ek Hasina Thi, I am writing it here.

Excellent stuff - EHT. Real noir film. You get sucked into the happenings - which move at a fast pace.

Although the ending was more filmy stuff - unfortunately noir life does not have such a silver lining.

Fan has given this movie a Yay! Thumbs Up.
Fan has posted 714 comments and has rated 200 movies. See Fan's page for more details.

@Fan I recently watched Ek Hasina Thi again and was impressed again :D

Fan

@Meetu: agreed. A good film. Urmila Matondkar surprised, yet again. Considering the hamming in her first film as lead actress (Chamatkar) she did make massive progress in the 2nd half of her career so far.

Fan has given this movie a Yay! Thumbs Up.
Fan has posted 714 comments and has rated 200 movies. See Fan's page for more details.

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